Manipulative table for spinal correction



1933- E. P. BLANCHARD 1,938,006

MANIPULATIVE TABLE FOR SPINAL CORRECTION Filed May 11, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDWARD RBM/vmA/m M 0L&

A TTORNE YS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/Ill! E. P. BLANCHARD MANIPULATIVE TABLE FOR SPINAL CORRECTION Filed May 11, 1952 Dec. 5, 1933.

INVENTOR. EDWARD R BLANCH/IEO BY ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 5, 1933. E. P. BLANCHARD 1,938,005

MANIPULATIVE TABLE FOR SPINAL CORRECTION Filed May 1 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 G n K Q *0 R Q H w n n i m i a r I \Q n n ZNVENTOR.

s EDWARD P. BLANCH/1RD I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 5, 1933' My 7 vmTED' A f P TENT-OF 7 MANIPULATIVE TABLE FOR SPINAL CORRECTION 'iEdwardPiBlanchard, Los Angeles, Calif, I Application May 11, 1932. Serial No; 610,656

' 1 Claims. (01. 12s 74) i 7 I V This invention'relates to and has for a, por

' pose the provision of a'table structurally char- 'acterized by means enabling correction or the spinal'column to" be readily efie'ctedin accordance with various methods of adjustment practiced by the mechano-therapy profession. I

It is a further purpose. of'the invention to provide a' table having a deformable or flexible abdominal supporting portion which can beeither yieldingly or rigidly supported against down- ,ward pressure imposed on the body of the patient in accordance with the particular correction system' being practiced, and which can be adjusted to occupy an arched position for use with the Spear system of spinal correction.

a It is another purpose of this invention to provide a manipulative table embodying a leg rest adjustable in a manner to eiiect stretching of the body of apatientjharnessed on the table, with power driven means for actuating the leg rest to alternately. stretch and relieve the stress from the body of the patient. 7

Only one form of the invention willbe clescribed, following which thenovel features thereof will be pointedout in claims. 7 In the accompanying drawings, t

Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation partly broken away, themanipulative table for spinal correction; embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 or Figure 1 and looking in the direction-of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of an abdominal supporting section detached: from the table;

Figures 4, hand Gare enlarged transverse sectional views taken,l 'respectively; on the lines .l-4:, 5-,5 and 6-- 6 ref Figure; l, and looking in the directions of the respective arrows.

Referring specifically to the draw1ngs,,.wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several views, this invention inits present embodiment'comprisesa substantially rectangular frame 10 having legs .11 at its corners to support the frame in elevated; posi tion; From the endsof'the' framerise housings 12 and 13 spaced apart a sufficientdi'stance to receive therebetween anabdominal support designated generally at A, whichspans and is supported from the housings in "a manner to be later described; l Pivoted' on a horizontal transverse axis 14 on the housing 12 is a head rest 'H'which is angularly occupy various positions; Also adjustable; to

r 2 "supported from the housing 12 isa bracket'lcto which ahead'harness' (not/shown) is adapted to' be connected, and from thebracket extend conventional bars-17 having vertical pins 18 which are extended between the arms and body of-the patient at ,theshoulders as is the usual practice M in tables or this character. Supportedbythe housing 13 is a leg rest designated generally at L and which together with the abdominal support A and head rest H is suitably cushioned and enables the patient to comfortablyrest face downiward on the table in a prone position. The specific construction of the leg rest and the manner in which it is mounted and adjusted to effect stretching of theflbody or" the patient will be bearings 28 (Figure 2) on the housing 12 to mount one end of the abdominal support "A for pivotal movement on the table about a transverse horizontal axis. The transverse 'member 7 23oz" 'thefframe 19 has a depending flange 29 7 provided with openings loosely receiving pins 30 rigidly fixed to vand projecting fromthe housing 13 longitudinallyof the table into the spacebetween the housings so as to slidably connect the other end of the abdominal support to the table.

The construction of the abdominal support above described renders it deformable and capable of being flexed by manual pressureexerted downwardly against the back of'the patient at a point substantially midway between the points of connection of the support to the housings 12 and 13, as will be understood;

A U-shaped bracket 31 extends transversely of the table medially between the housings 12 and 13 and is secured to the side members of the frame 10 by bolts 32. This bracket includes a vertical sleeve 33 .dispo'sed'along the longitudinal axis of the table and having rotatably mounted thereon aibevel'gear S4 internally threaded to' receive a fee d screw 35 which extends ireely into the sleeve and above the'gear. The gear is confined '105 againstupward axial displacement bya yoke'36 freely receiving the hub 37of the gear and secured to the bracket31 by screws 38. A The feed screw 35ishollow and its upper end is provided 1 with a square opening slidably receiving a post 39 square in cross section to provide a splined connection between the feed screw and post so that these members will be extensibly associated and are yet confined against relative rotation. The upper end of the post is rigidly secured at 40 (Figure 4) to a cross bar 41 to which the abdominal support A is secured by bolts 42. The lower end of the post is provided with a cylindrical shank 43 externally threaded to receive a nut 44; and mounted on the shank between the nut and a washer 45 on the shank is a rebound cushioning spring 46.

A main coil spring 4'7 in the form of a cone frustum surrounds the post 39 with its upper and smaller end seating in a shallow cup 48 secured with the post to the cross bar ll. The lower and larger end of the spring 47 seats in a shallow cup 49 freely mounted on the feed screw 35 and abutting an adjusting hand wheel 50 threadedly mounted on the feed screw and operable when rotated on the feed screw to move axially thereof so as to load the spring 47 to a greater or less extent and thus vary its yieldability and its resistance to downward pressure imposed by the practitioner on the abdominal support through the body of the patient; It will be clear that the spring 47 serves to yieldingly support the abdominal support intermediate its ends, and that as the abdominal support flexible, correction of the spinal column can be effected. in a simple and convenient manner. The spring 46 serves to cushion the rebound of'the spring 47 following compression of the latter by the depression of the abdominal support, and thus effectively absorbs what would otherwise be an undesirable shock or jar to the patient.

Constantly meshing with the gear 34 is a bevel pinion 51 fixed to one end of a shaft 52 terminating at its other end in a handle 53 by which the shaft can be rotated to rotate gear at. As the post 39 is fixed against rotation, and as the feed screw 35 cannot rotate due to the splined connection between it and the post, it will be clear that rotation of the gear 34 will result in moving the screw axially. With the gear 34 rotated to move the screw upwardly, the abdominal support A will be moved to an arched position, it being understood that the spring 47 will be further compressed to some extent during this operation, so that when the abdominal support has been arched the desired amount in accordance with the practice followed in the Spear system of spinal correction, very little flexibility of the abdominal support will be present. To further insure that the abdominal support will be substantially rigid when the support is arched, the handwheel 50 canbe rotated on the feed screw to initially compress the spring 47 as much as possible within the range of adjustment of the handwheel on the feedscrew.

In order to enable the abdominal support to be maintained rigid in an unarched position for massaging and other purposes, a platform 54 in the form of a yoke has the inner ends of its arms 55'pivoted on the rod 27, and the outer ends of its arms underlying the cross bar 41. The platform can be rigidly supported in the horizontal po- .sition shown in-full lines in Figure 1 by a propping frame 56 having rollers 57 riding on the under surface of the arms, the frame 56 being pivoted in bearings 58 on the side members of the frame 10 as shown in Figure 5. The propping frame is urged by a spring 59 to the platform supportingposition shown in full lines in Figure l and wherein the rollers 57 abut a depending stop flange 59a on the platform. Pedals 60 and 61 .the propping frame, the spring 59 has passed a project from the propping frame and enable the latter to be rocked in one direction or the other to accordingly support or release the platform as desired. When the propping frame occupies the inactive position shown in broken lines in Figure 1, the platform is free to gravitate to the downwardly inclined position also shown in broken lines in this figure; and it will be noted that the movement of'the propping'frame from its supporting position is definitely limited by a stop member 62 carried by the platform and having a hook 63 receiving the pintle 64 on which the rollers 57 of the propping frame are mounted. It will also be noted that in the inactive position of dead center position so as to be ineffective to urge the frame to supporting position. It will be clear that when the abdominal support is unarched, and the platform is propped in horizontal position, that the abdominal'support will be maintained rigid against downward pressure exerted on the body of the patient, and that when the platform is released, the abdominal support will be free for flexure from its unarched position against the yielding support of the spring 47.

The leg rest L is constructed in two sections '65 and 56, both of which are pivoted on the housing 13 at 67 so as to be angularly adjustable relatively to each other and to the table about a horizontal axis transversely of the table. The upper 1555 section is suitably cushioned and has pivotally mounted thereon a notchedbar 68 passing through a slot 69 in the lower section 66 for coaction in supporting the upper section in various positions of angular adjustment relative 5.10 to the lower section. Supported from the frame 10 by a bracket -70 is an electric motor 71 which, through a suitable reduction gearing 72, drives a shaft 73 having cranks 74 to which connecting rods 75 are pivotally connected. The rods 75' are also pivotally connected at 76 to the lower section 66 of the leg rest so that when the motor is in operation the leg rest WillbG'OSClllELtBd about the'axis of its pivotal connection with the housing 13. Suit- @650 able brackets 7'7 are carried by the lower section 66; and to these brackets conventional ankle harnesses (not shown) are adapted to be attached, so that with the ankle harnesses and the previously referred to head harness connected to the patient, the body of the latter will be alternately stretched and the stress relieved as the leg rest is oscillated.

What is claimed is:

l. A table of the character described "having a deformable abdominal support; means for mounting the support on the table while renderto yieldingly sustain'the'support in arched posi- 1145 tion; and means by which the last means can be adjusted to vary the yieldability thereof.

' 3. A table of the'characte'r described. having an abdominal support comprising a plurality of spaced apart leaf springs extending longitudi- 'nally of the table, and a bottom of flexible sheet material overlying the springs; and means by which the springs and bottom can be flexed to move said support to an arched position.

4. A table of the character described having an abdominal support comprising a frame having a plurality of leaf springs extending longitudinally of the able, and transverse members connecting the springs in spaced relation; and means for mounting the frame on the table while rendering the springs free to be flexed.

5. A table of the characterpdescribed having an abdominal support comprisinga frame including a plurality of spaced apart leaf springs extending longitudinally of the table, and a bottom of flexible sheet material overlying the springs;

rendering the springs free to be flexed.

6. A table of the character described having a flexible abdominal support; means for connecting the ends of the support to the table while rendering the support free to be flexed; and means for yieldingly supporting the support intermediate its ends.

7. A table of the character described having a flexible abdominal support; means for connecting the ends of the support to the table while rendering the support free to be flexed; and means for moving the support to an arched position.

8. A table of the character described having a flexible abdominal support; means for securing one end of the support to the table; and means for slidably connecting the opposite end of the support to the table whereby to enable the support to be flexed.

9. A table of the character described having a flexible abdominal support; means for securing one end of the support to the table; means for slidably connecting the opposite end of the support to the table, whereby to enable the support to be flexed; and means for yieldingly supporting the support intermediate its ends.

10. A table of the character described having a flexible abdominal support; means for securing one end of the support tothe table; means for slidably connecting the opposite end' of the support to the table, whereby to enable the support to be flexed; and means for rigidly supporting the support against flexure.

11. A table of the character described having a flexible abdominal support; a vertically adjustable feed screw; a spring interposed between the feed screw and support for urging the latter upwardly towards an arched position; a post de pending from the support and extensibly associated with the feed screw; and means for limiting the extended position of the post under the action of the spring. 5

12. A table of the character described comand means for mounting the frame on the table while prising a flexible abdominal support; a pair of extensibly associated members one of which is secured to the table and the other to said support; means for urging the support towards an arched position to extend said members; and means for limiting the extensibility of the members under the action of the last means.

13. A table of the character described having a flexiblesupport; means for connecting the support to the'table at spaced points while rendering the support free to be flexed; means for yieldingly sustaining the support intermediate said points against being depressed; and means by which the last means can be adjusted to vary the yieldability thereof. 7 p v 14. A table of the character described having a'. flexible support; means for connecting the support to the table at spaced points while rendering the support free to be flexed; and means'adjustable from an inactive position to an active position whereinit coacts with the support to rigidly sustain the latter against flexure by a depressing force.

15. A table of the character descrlbed havinga' 16. A table of the character described having a support of flexible material; means forfconnecting the support at spaced points to the table while rendering the support free to shift laterally relative to at least one of said points in order to permit the support to be flexed; and means for yieldingly sustaining the support against flexure by a depressing force. I

17. A table of the character described having a I support of flexible material; means for connecting the support at spaced points to the table while rendering the support free to shift laterally relative to at least one of said points in order depressed; and means ad-.

to permit the support to be flexed; and means for moving the support to an upwardly arched position.

18. A table of the character described having a support of flexible material; means for connecting the support at spaced points to the table while rendering the support free .to shift laterally relative to at least one of said points in orderto permit the support to be flexed; and yieldable means for moving the support to, and sustaining 'it in an'upwardly arched position.

EDWARD P. BLANCHARD. 

